A penalty kick in the last minutes of the match allowed Negros Oriental Football Association (NORFA) to draw its match against Cebu at 2-all in yesterday’s Visayas leg of the Philippine Football Federation (PFF) Suzuki Cup U23 at the Silliman Ball Field in Dumaguete.
With four matches already played in the Visayas leg, the Negros Occidental Football Association (NOFA) leads with six points after winning both its matches while Cebu is at second with four points with a 1-1 (win-draw) record. NORFA is at third with a point.
NORFA, manned by Dumaguete players, scored first in the match.
However, a goal from Rikko Cedric de Guzman and Junjun Pintuan gave Cebu a 2-1 lead going into halftime.
In the second half, both teams tried to add to their scores but neither were successful until John Ejara was called for a foul.
Cebu head coach Joselito Bono said Ejara slid in an attempt to swat the ball away from NORFA and hit no one in the process.
However, the referee decided to award NORFA a penalty kick, which put to waste Cebu’s one-point lead.
In last Saturday’s match between Iloilo Football Association (IFA) and NOFA in Iloilo, NOFA won 2-0.
Next weekend, Cebu will host IFA at the Aboitiz Sports Field in Subangdaku, Mandaue. /CORRESPONDENT MARS G. ALISON